Tasmanian Ceramics Association, Southern Branch Inc. Newsletter no.

284

Full bore Raku
By Tom Hartley
The first Raku Workshop of 2010 happened on a
glorious Sunday at Peter Andersons place in
Glen Lusk. When I arrived John Watson and
Peter were well underway with the setting up of
the two gas fired fibre lined kilns.

There are five phases to a raku firing and they
happen with the same anticipation of a five
course dinner ! First there is the colouring and
glazing of your bisqued ware pieces. Peter had
set up a well stocked kitchen of glazes and
colours under the gazebo. We each read the
labels, peeped under the lids, decided on our
sauces and condiments some we knew
some we didnt take a look at your piece try
to imagine what it will look like do you dare to
experiment ? yes no - maybe ! A few minutes
later after your colour and glaze basted pieces
had basked in the warm sun they were dry and
ready for packing into one of the kilns.

The packer eyes the pieces with the eyes of a
stonemason which pieces interlock but dont
touch with which ? Which pieces should go
into the foundation layer which pieces should
be reserved to top it off. Each layer separated by
delicately balanced kiln shelves and spacers.
Peters advice was to think as much about
deconstructing the red hot stack as building the
cold stack of pieces. At the end of the firing
each has to be taken out ASAP a hazardous
process. Just a brief touching of one piece
against its neighbour can lead to the pick up of
both of them together or else the formation of
gossamer threads of glaze from one to the other.

Once packed and the kiln closed comes a time to
relax and chat with the roar of the full bore two
inch gas burners always in the background.
The first light up of the kiln is exciting the
kiln and the surrounds are cold, the heat
builds up, the ground begins to scorch, the
smell of singed grass and eucalypt leaves
wafts through the group. A rogue lick of
flame is casually stepped out. Time to talk of
glazes, clays, of reduction and oxidation. The
first firing of the day takes the longest. At
first we watch the thermocouple dials
expecting to see the temperature rocket but
it doesnt.

Finally we are at the 900
0
C or 1000
0
C mark.
Peter and John organize the teams with tongs
and gloves and face shields. The secret is for
each member to eye up the target tins of damp
sawdust for their pieces because as soon as
the kiln lid comes off you find your self in
line to grasp your piece and move it, glowing
red hot, to its reduction destination ASAP.
Once in the tin there is no formula as to how
long you should leave it there. My opinion is
that if you place the pieces face down into the
damp sawdust then those smothered faces and
surfaces of your piece will get the most
reduction which means the most colour and
lustre. If you want your whole piece to be
maximally coloured and lustred then you
need to bury it completely in the damp
sawdust. In my short experience with raku I
have found that the hotter the pieces arrive in
the sawdust and the quicker the pieces then
cool in the reduction phase then the stronger
are the colours. It makes chemical sense to
me reduction needs two things an absence
of oxygen and maximum heat. But once all
the reduction possible has occurred you want
to stop the reaction. That is best done by
cooling it down with cold water added to the
tin. Or you can do it more dramatically by
quickly taking the piece out of the reduction
tin and plunging it into a bowl of cold water.
Newsletter of the
Tasmanian Ceramics Association
- Southern Branch PO Box 82, New Town, 7008
Cosgrove High School, G Block, Main Rd Glenorchy, 7010
http://members.tassie.net.au/~potters/
Tas.Potters@tassie.net.au
No. 288 April 2010
Editors email john@dmink.net
2 Tasmanian Ceramics Association, Southern Branch Inc. Newslettter no. 287

On Sunday everyone had their own preference
and everyone got exciting and unexpected
results. And as the photos show you can be
very laid back about the whole thing and
produce a veritable smorgasbord of pieces.
Thanks Peter and John for a fantastic and
creative day in Glen Lusk.

laid back raku


Multicolour bowl, Jude Maisch


a plate of hot fish
Diary of
up-coming events

27 June Tool-making workshop
15 August Annual exhibition
Annual exhibition
2010
A note from the President, Mark
Knight
This year our annual exhibition will return to
the School House Gallery at Rosny, running
from the 15
th
of August to the 9
th
of
September.
The theme of the exhibition will be Seven
Deadly Sins. Hopefully you will be inspired
and challenged to create a piece that will add
to a memorable exhibition.
We have found that it is important to sign
your work. This is an indication that you are
proud enough of the quality and artistry of
your piece to want your name on it.
Your Artist Statement is also important. It
has always been the aim of the exhibition to
educate the public about ceramics and its
pleasing to see how people are interested in
reading about your work. You dont need a
long spiel.maybe a few details on how you
made the piece, what inspires you, and your
involvement with clay. Feel free to ask for
some help or feedback; committee members
are always happy to assist.
August is not far off so start on creation
tomorrow.

Ok, what are the seven deadly sins?
Pride is excessive belief in one's own
abilities. It has been called the sin from which
all others arise. Pride is also known as Vanity.
Envy is the desire for anothers traits, status,
abilities, or situation.
Gluttony is an inordinate desire to consume
more than that which one requires.
Lust is an inordinate craving for the pleasures
of the body.
Anger is manifested in the individual who
spurns love and opts instead for fury. It is also
known as Wrath.
Greed is the desire for material wealth or
gain, ignoring the realm of the spiritual. It is
also called Avarice or Covetousness.
3 Tasmanian Ceramics Association, Southern Branch Inc. Newslettter no. 287

Sloth is the avoidance of physical or spiritual
work.
Its time to start planning and making.
Dont be discouraged by the need to respond to
the theme. You can tackle just one of the sins or
make a set to cover alland you can be as
oblique as you want to be, so treat it as a
challenge but not a burden! We feel sure that this
will generate a most interesting exhibition. The
traditional awards and prize categories may be
adjusted slightly to accord with the themed
approach to this exhibition but we expect the
level of sponsorship to be the same as in
previous years. Theres an entry form included
with this issue but well include another in the
next, when well also advise the adjusted award
categories.
Brush, crayon and
tool-making workshop
Sunday 27
th
June 2010,
T.C.A. Studio
Time: 10 4.30
Cost: $40 (All materials supplied)
Please bring a plate for shared lunch
Save on costs and learn some fantastic time and
money saving potters tips. This is a one day
hands on workshop in which participants will
have the opportunity to make a range of turning,
throwing, and hand building tools as well as test
screens, unique handmade brushes and ceramic
crayons.
The workshop will be coordinated by Peter
Anderson, with additional demonstrations from
Mark Knight and is intended as an opportunity
for skills sharing and discussion. By working as
a group it is intended that each participant will
be able to take home a set of ceramic crayons,
three different types of brushes and
individualised tools.
Other examples of tools covered include:
45 degree cutter for slab work
Marks glazing finger clasps
Stamps and rollers
Twisted wire
Chamois on cork
Mouse tails
Dragon flies
Metal ribbon turning / Chattering tools

Also available templates and designs for
future use. To assist with organisation of
materials booking are essential and need to be
made directly with Peter on 62 72 11 95

Workshop proposals

Sara Wright has been communicating
continuously with the organisers of the
Gulgong ceramics convention in the hope of
luring an international artist to Hobart for a
workshop. After a few false leads she is
hopeful of clinching a workshop with
(NAME- any news Sara?). As soon as we
have details well advise members by email
or letter.

Committee members

President : Mark Knight 6243 6837
Vice-president : Anna Williams 6229 5115
Secretary: Paula Woodward 6268 1709
Treasurer: Janine Davison 0417 103513
Studio Manager: Peter Anderson 6272 1195
Public officer: Tom Hartley
Newsletter editor: John Watson 6224 5809
Workshop co-ordinator: Sara Wright
Committee member: Robin Roberts
Committee member: Jude Maisch 6243 0195


Electric kiln wanted

Sue Thain is looking for a second-hand kiln,
preferably front-loading, single-phase or two-
phase, about 460x460x600mm. If anyone can
help please contact Sue or her husband,
Malcolm, on 0447 978154.

4 Tasmanian Ceramics Association, Southern Branch Inc. Newslettter no. 287

Tasmanian
Ccramic & Pnttcry
Supplics

For oII your poffery ond ceromic suppIies we
hove o Iorge voriefy of cIoys, undergIo;es,
gIo;es, row moferioIs, corks, fooIs, brushes,
efc.
AIso o fuII ronge
of heovy dufy & ceromic orf kiIns.
PIeose ring for o quofe on buIk orders direcf
from fhe monufocfurer.

SERVICE IS OUR NO 1 PRIORITY
No order is too Iurge
or too smuII
{we cun post up to 30kg
unywhere in Tusmuniu
for $4,7 inc SST}
Tony & Jun MitcheII
Ph 39 431 Fu 39 4301
EmuiI: tonymi crotech, com, uu

Library on the move
It has been decided to move the Associations
library of ceramic books and periodicals to
Offcentre at the S.A.C. We believe that this will
make it more accessible to members (seven days
a week). However, it may be some time before a
suitable space is created at Offcentre - but well
let you know as soon as








Derwent Ceramic
Supplies
16B Sunderland St, Moonah
Ph: (03) 6278 3208
Fax: (03) 6278 3290

We provide:

Clays, glazes, underglazes, tools, kilns
(& furniture), pottery wheels, firing
service books & videos to borrow


Open: Tuesday to Friday 9:00 5:00

Congratulations,
Anna and Sallee
For their impressive exhibition, Clay and
Ravens at the Rosny Schoolhouse Gallery
last month. It was a feast of black and white
and, judging by the number of red stickers,
well-received by the public!
Can anyone help?
Richard Whitaker asks
A few years ago we had a
Matthias Ostermann workshop
We did some colour tests and I
have the results on a tile,
tests numbered 1 -20, BUT I
do not have details of what
colour, oxides or stains, made
up each test. (I do have the
general notes on mixing the
colour glazes.)
If anyone who attended can help Richard you
can email him at whitaker.mail@gmail.com





5 Tasmanian Ceramics Association, Southern Branch Inc. Newslettter no. 287

International Workshop at
TCA Finland Double Bill!


Riitta Talonpoika and Nanna Bayer

Saturday and Sunday, 8
th
and 9
th
of May 2010
T.C.A. Studio
Time: 10 4.00 both days plus
Finnish Slideshow and Soup Dinner Saturday
Cost: $95 some demo materials supplied
Please bring a plate for shared lunch


Riitta Talonpoika Longing for Snow 2003
Lumenkaipuu in Finnish. Hand made porcelain
pearls, fishing line and iron.
Get Ready for a Finnish Invasion! Thanks to
Janet Mansfield, Cudgegong Gallery and this
years Clay Energy 2010 Conference in Gulgong
we have the special privilege of hosting two
internationally renowned guests on their
Australian Travels.
Riitta Talonpoika creates work that harmonises
with the natural environment. Organic forms and
fine hanging forms of delicate porcelain are both
expressive of clay's language. She works with
the idea of changeable and irregular objects
and responds to surrounding influences of her
studio location in Fiskars. For Riitta, small,
unique and limited series offer an alternative
to mechanical mass production. Her hand-
made objects are mediated by human touch
and the pleasure experienced in the
manufacturing process.



Nanna Bayer makes paper-thin, luxuriously
light porcelain dishes, which are far from
everyday crockery. The design in these dishes
is very simple and is cleverly disguised under
the rich colours and patterns. She uses
Neriage technique in her fine porcelain
vessels. In Neriage, colour imbued clays are
joined and cut in order to create repetitive
patterns. Nanna says I want to create pieces
which are ancient yet modern; plain and yet
festive. She finds the colours she uses in her
natural surroundings. Every winter she is
surprised by new grey and ice blue tones. The
spring provides sunny yellows and delicate
greens - the colours of the first coltsfoot
appear straight away in her work. See
nannabayer.com for colour images.

These artists have their studios in the world
reknown craft and design Village of Fiskars.
In the 1980s the Fiskars looked to keep the
traditions of its manufacturing village and
buildings alive by searching for new
inhabitants and bringing over 100 craftsmen,
designers and artists to fill the vacant historic
buildings. Find out more in the slideshow!
Limited Space dont delay. Booking is
essential and needs to be made directly with
Robin Roberts 6243 4670 or
robin.7@bigpond.net.au

Nanna Bayer Espresso Series and Tile Series